1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bibs, more particularly to bibs that can be easily slipped around a neck without requiring a fastening or securing means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bibs are used by people of different ages at home, in a restaurant or in a nursing home. Regardless of who uses it and where it is used, bibs help to prevent clothes from being soiled. Bibs have been made in a variety of sizes to cover a user anywhere between the user's chest to the user's lap. Many bibs are reusable, being made from cloth or plastic, while others are disposable, being made from inexpensive materials such as a plastic coated paper or thin plastic. Regardless of the bib's size and the material used to make the bib, most bibs utilize a securing means for retaining the bib on the user's neck. Normally the securing means, e.g., ties, snaps, etc., is disposed behind the user's neck and therefore requires the user to reach behind their neck to secure the bib. Though this is not a problem for most people, young children and elderly individuals who still maintain some degree of independence may find it difficult to reach behind their necks to secure the bib. Thus, a bib is desired that can be easily slipped on one's neck and retained on the neck without requiring a securing means.
U.S. Pat. No. 115,238, issued to Raiford on May 23, 1871, shows a device for attaching a napkin to a person. The device has a slitted metallic band that has bulb-like ends disposed near the slit. The band is capable of being distended to fit around a person's neck. The band can be slipped through a hem of a napkin to retain the napkin and ultimately allow the napkin to hang from the person's neck.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,154,464, issued to Lozier on Apr. 18, 1939, describes a garment support comprising a flat, spring steel body-encircling member and an apron. The steel member is slipped through a hem on the apron and retained in place by clips disposed on the steel member. U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,035, issued to McCarthy on Aug. 9, 1960, discloses a bib holder. The holder is a tubular neck ring having a slit in the middle portion of the ring for receiving and holding a corner of a napkin or the bib.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,916, issued to Bell on Apr. 22, 1997, describes a bib for use while operating a vehicle. The bib comprises a sheet of material having two hemmed ends. One hemmed end receives a neck ring and the second hemmed end receives a steering column ring. Both rings are split rings that have retaining balls disposed on the ends of the ring to prevent the sheet of material from slipping off the rings.
British Patent Number 2,390,531, published on Jan. 14, 2004, and International Patent Number WO 2004/006697, published on Jan. 22, 2004, both describe a flexible, absorbent neck bib made of a cylindrical absorbent material. The flexible, absorbent neck bib is encased within an outer sheath made of permeable or semi-permeable material. The absorbent material has securing means, such as ties, Velcro®, snaps, hook and eye fasteners, etc., that serve to retain the shape of the bib and fasten the bib around a person's neck. The bib is meant to hang around the neck, but does not extend downward to cover the chest area or clothing.
Many bibs have been disclosed that have a fastening means disposed at the back of a user's neck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,224, issued to Ashcraft on Apr. 28, 1987, discloses a unisex plastic-coated paper bib-apron, which drapes from the user's neck onto the user's legs. An adhesive pad or other securing material is disposed on neck panels of the bib-apron, requiring the user to secure the neck panels together from behind the user's head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,290, issued to Morris on Feb. 6, 2001, describes an inexpensive disposable covering that uses adhesive material on one of two neck panels to hold the covering around a user's neck. Swiss Patent Number 686,550, published on Apr. 30, 1996, describes a napkin that can be converted into a bib by detaching a neck section on the napkin and securing a glued joint around a person's neck.
British Patent Number 2,364,885, published on Feb. 13, 2002, discloses a neck fastener for a bib or other garment. The bib or garment has a roll collar defining a channel through which a tape is passed and ultimately a bow is tied around the user's neck. Canadian Patent Number 1,053,402 published on May 1, 1979, discloses a protective neck and chest protector comprising a neckband and a bib, both of which are made of a resilient cushion or pad. The neckband has a securing means that can be hook and loop type material that can be secured from behind a user's neck.
U.S Pat. No. 3,597,763, issued to Bienvenu on Aug. 10, 1971, discloses a rigid bib for infants. The bib is made of plastic-coated cardboard or similar material and maintains a trough-like shape when worn. The bib may be attached around a neck by either retaining tabs or a tie that is disposed behind the user's neck.
Other bibs designed to drape over the user's body have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,024, issued to Randolph on Jan. 22, 1957 (neck protector); U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,674, issued to Daniel on Mar. 26, 1974 (a drape having a collar and a bib where the collar and bib are made from the same material); U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,596, issued to Fosmo on Mar. 19, 2003 (bib-like cover having a stretchable and-deformable collar); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,763, issued to Blackshear on Sep. 28, 1999 (disposable bib that uses has a wire-reinforced tab to secure the bib to a shirt's neck collar.)
Still other bibs or clothing protectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,116, issued to Meeker on Dec. 31, 1974 (method of making a towel bib); U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,890, issued to Kuhn on Nov. 20, 2001 (protective garment overlay apparatus comprising a napkin and a rigid gripping component that can be deformed to secure the napkin to an anchoring element); U.S. Pat. No. 996,084, issued to Herring on Jun. 27, 1911; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,240, issued to Royal on Aug. 6, 2002.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a bib solving the aforementioned problems is desired.